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i have a better idea for paul-ians...
how bout you imagine what we would do if mexicans were firing missiles into california and texas because they wanted a do-over.
Alright. Let's imagine that. Let's imagine the other stuff (the gangs and flash mobs, etc...) and that our government either couldn't, or wouldn't do anything about it. Let's further imagine that a lot of people here actually supported the Chinese takeover.
Now. do you suppose there would still be some people in Texas who would take up arms against them? Maybe you wouldn't. Maybe you and I would see the wisdom in having foreigners helping us maintain the peace - but what about the gun nut down the street who always seemed a little 'off'? Do you think he might come unglued and blow up a building?
See, the point we're making isn't (as so many demagogues would have it) that "we deserved it". The point is "we should have seen it coming". When we mess with the internal affairs of other nations, it's bound to cause blowback. To ignore that, to pretend that the terrorists "hate us because we're free and rich" is childish nonsense. It's willful ignorance and we need to get over it.